1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to holsters for carrying firearms and, more particularly, to leg holsters and shoulder holsters.
2. Description of Prior Art
Certain firearm users, such as tactical units of the Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, military, paramilitary and SWAT units, as well as other units, prefer or require that their members carry their sidearms holstered and strapped to their thighs and not on their duty bells (i.e., waist belts). Many of these high intensity tactical units are engaged in repelling or using ladders while wearing thick body armor, as well as other physical motions which would limit their ready access to their sidearms if carried in a holster attached to a waist duty belt.
Recently, an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) was ascending a ladder on a particular raid and shot himself in the right leg when he tried to withdraw his loaded and cocked pistol from a conventional thigh holster. In slow motion analysis of the incident, it became apparent that the agent tried to check that his pistol was still within the holster. Once his hand went around the grip, the agent's finger touched the trigger causing it to fire. This accident could have been avoided had the agent been wearing a sidearm holster which provided:
(1) The weapon would not be cocked or loaded with a round in battery; PA1 (2) Pulling on the grip of the pistol would not load, cock or allow the weapon to be removed from the holster; and PA1 (3) Touching the trigger would not activate it.
Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a sidearm holster such that the holster can be worn on either side of the waist, or in an ambidextrous cross draw mode, in an ambidextrous shoulder holster mode, or in an ambidextrous leg holster mode by simply rearranging the components of the holster without the necessity of manufacturing separate components for right hand and left hand wearing of the holster.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a leg holster and a shoulder holster which may be worn in a right hand or left hand configuration, with no need to manufacture separate components to meet this requirement. It is a further object to provide such a leg or shoulder holster which is not subject to shifting or riding up on the wearer, despite the wearer engaging in intense physical activities.